For this exercise please tell us whether the underlined words (all verbals) are either a/an: (a) gerund

(b) participle (c) infinitive.



a. Dreaming about success won’t guarantee it.
b. Helen wants to become a famous screenwriter.
c. Hiding in the underbrush, the lion spotted the gazelle.
d. To dream the impossible dream is not always a foolish exercise.
e. The professor enjoyed challenging her students to improve.
f. Now it’s time to turn to exercising our brains.
g. Losing the election does not seem to be an option now.
h. Briefly losing her bearings, she quickly shook off her mental fog and headed north.
i. Branded a coward by his former friends, he set out to prove them wrong.
j. Reaching out a paw, the cat touched its owner's face.


Answers/Analysis:a.
Gerund. See “Verbals,” page 46: Gerunds always end in –ing; they “have the feel of action but
serve only as the subject or object in a sentence. . . Remember: Gerunds are always nouns.”
b. Infinitive. See “Verbals,” page 47: Infinitives are “formed by to plus (in most cases) the present
tense of a verb. Infinitives generally are easy to identify; their role as a noun, adjective or adv,
however, is not always so easy to determine.”
c. Participle. See “Verbals,” page 47: Participles “have either an –ing or –ed ending and are
always used as adjectives. As an adjective . . . , the participle generally will modify (give extra
meaning to) a noun or a pronoun.”
d. Infinitive. See “Verbals,” page 47: Infinitives are “formed by to plus (in most cases) the present
tense of a verb. Infinitives generally are easy to identify; their role as a noun, adjective or adv,
however, is not always so easy to determine.”
e. Gerund. See “Verbals,” page 46: Gerunds always end in –ing; they “have the feel of action but
serve only as the subject or object in a sentence. . . Remember: Gerunds are always nouns.”
f. Gerund. See “Verbals,” page 46: Gerunds always end in –ing; they “have the feel of action but
serve only as the subject or object in a sentence. . . Remember: Gerunds are always nouns.”
g. Gerund. See “Verbals,” page 46: Gerunds always end in –ing; they “have the feel of action but
serve only as the subject or object in a sentence. . . Remember: Gerunds are always nouns.”
h. Participle. See “Verbals,” page 47: Participles “have either an –ing or –ed ending and are
always used as adjectives. As an adjective . . . , the participle generally will modify (give extra meaning to) a noun or a pronoun.”
i. Participle. See “Verbals,” page 47: Participles “have either an –ing or –ed ending and are
always used as adjectives. As an adjective . . . , the participle generally will modify (give extra
meaning to) a noun or a pronoun.”
j. Participle. See “Verbals,” page 47: Participles “have either an –ing or –ed ending and are
always used as adjectives. As an adjective . . . , the participle generally will modify (give extra
meaning to) a noun or a pronoun.”

Communication & Mass Media

You might also like to view...

Ellen is likely to use a collaborative style when haggling over the terms of purchasing a car and trying to get the best deal possible

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Communication & Mass Media

Judonna and Candice were shopping at the mall. Judonna needed to go to the other end of the mall to get something. She said to Candice, "Meet me at 2:

00 in front of Sears." Candice thought that ‘in front' meant outside in front of the parking lot entrance. Judonna thought that ‘in front' meant in front of the entrance on the inside of the mall. Judonna and Candice spent two hours waiting for each other. What language problem is reflected in this situation? a. Allness b. Polarization c. Bypassing d. Denotative meaning

Communication & Mass Media

Nonverbal cues, such as head nods, bored looks, or heightened attentiveness provide ________ to the

speaker from the audience. Fill in the blanks with correct word

Communication & Mass Media

What is the difference between brainstorming and visual brainstorming?

What will be an ideal response?

Communication & Mass Media